Gun control bill clears its first hurdle in Senate WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress’ most serious gun-control effort in years cleared its first hurdle Thursday as the Senate pushed past conservatives’ attempted blockade under the teary gaze of families of victims of December’s Connecticut school shootings. The bipartisan 68-31 vote rebuffed an effort to keep debate from even starting, giving an early victory — and perhaps political momentum — to President Barack Obama and his gun control allies. Fou...

Hagel: Job not to cut heart out of Pentagon WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel rejected the suggestion that President Barack Obama tapped him to “cut the heart out of the Pentagon,” pointedly reminding lawmakers Thursday that Congress approved the smaller, deficit-driven military budgets long before he took the job. Faced with a $487 billion budget cut over a decade, Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon had no choice in...

US unemployment aid applications plummet to 346K WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, suggesting March’s weak month of hiring may have been a temporary slowdown. Unemployment aid applications dropped by 42,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The steep decline reversed sharp gains over the previous two weeks and brought the level back to a point that signals stronger job growth. The four...

RealtyTrac: US home repossessions fell in March LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes repossessed by lenders last month fell to the lowest level in more than five years, the latest evidence that the nation’s foreclosure crisis is abating amid an improving housing market. While some states still saw increases in homes taken back by banks, nationally home repossessions fell 3 percent in March from the previous month and were down 21 percent from a year earlier, foreclosure listing firm ...

Pentagon: NKorea could launch nuclear missile WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. intelligence report concludes that North Korea has advanced its nuclear knowhow to the point that it could arm a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead, a jarring revelation in the midst of bellicose threats from the unpredictable communist regime. President Barack Obama urged calm, calling on Pyongyang to end its saber-rattling while sternly warning that he would “take all necessary steps” to protect American citize...

Officials: Pentagon looks to cut furlough days WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Pentagon leaders are taking another look at sharply reducing the number of unpaid furlough days that department civilians will have to take in the coming months, suggesting they may be able to cut the number from 14 to as few as seven, defense officials said Thursday. If the number is reduced, it would be the second time the Pentagon has cut the number of furlough days. It had initially been set at 22 days. The officia...

Comeback: Weiner says he may run for NYC mayor NEW YORK (AP) — A bold comeback attempt or the height of chutzpah? In what could be the start of one of the most intriguing second acts in American politics, Anthony Weiner, the congressman who tweeted himself out of a job two years ago with a photo of his bulging underpants, is considering jumping into the New York City mayor’s race. The Brooklyn Democrat said in a New York Times Magazine story posted online Wednesday that he realizes he woul...

Boost for background checks: Senators compromise WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative senators from both parties announced their support for expanding background checks for gun buyers Wednesday, giving a burst of momentum to advocates of stronger restrictions. But big questions remain about whether President Barack Obama can push significant gun controls through Congress. The compromise between Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., boosted the chances that the Senate will agree to...

Thousands rally across US for immigration bill WASHINGTON (AP) — Tens of thousands of immigrants and activists rallied nationwide Wednesday in a coordinated set of protests aimed at pressing Congress to approve immigration measures that would grant 11 million immigrants living here illegally a path toward citizenship. Organizers said demonstrations were taking place in at least 18 states and in Washington, D.C., where a large, festive crowd gathered on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Wed...

Post office retreats on eliminating Saturday mail WASHINGTON (AP) — The financially beleaguered Postal Service backpedaled on its plan to end Saturday mail delivery, conceding Wednesday that its gamble to compel congressional approval had failed. With limited options for saving money, the governing board said the agency should reopen negotiations with unions to lower labor costs and consider raising mail prices. Yet the board also said it’s not possible for the Postal Service to meet its goal...

US expected to increase aid to Syrian rebels WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is expected to give Syrian rebels broader nonlethal military assistance, including body armor and night-vision goggles, while stopping short of providing weapons to forces fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad. The timing and scope of the stepped-up aid package is unclear. President Barack Obama has not given final approval and an announcement is not imminent, according to a senior administration off...

Connecticut gun-maker declares intention to leave state NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut gun-maker announced on Wednesday it intends to leave the state, just six days after passage of restrictive gun control legislation, while two other manufacturers said they are considering relocation offers from other states. Manufacturers also plan to lobby the state’s congressional delegation next week “to make sure they hear from our side,” said Mark Malkowski, president of Stag Arms in New Britain. Br...

Senate plan to stiffen border security WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators finalizing a landmark immigration bill has agreed to require greatly increased surveillance of the border and apprehensions of people trying to cross it, a person familiar with the proposals said Wednesday. The legislation, to be released within days, would call for surveillance of 100 percent of the U.S. border with Mexico and apprehension of 90 percent of people trying to cross in certain high...

Mayflower Oil pipeline gash 22 feet long LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel says an ExxonMobil pipeline that burst last month, leaking oil into a neighborhood at Mayflower, has a hole in it that is 22 feet long and 2 inches wide. McDaniel said his office received 12,500 pages of documents from the company regarding the spill Wednesday, shortly before a news conference. State lawyers are reviewing ExxonMobil's documents. The attorney general had issued ...

Darr says Senate run in '14 unlikely LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas Lt. Gov. Mark Darr says he's unlikely to seek the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor next year. Darr told The Associated Press on Wednesday he's leaning against challenging Pryor, but hasn't made a final decision. Darr said he's still eyeing a run for Congress or a re-election bid next year. Darr said he believed there would be a stronger candidate to challenge Pryor, but declined to say w...

Lawmakers approve sale of unpasteurized milk LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas lawmakers have given final approval to a bill that would allow farmers to sell unpasteurized milk. By a 19-11 vote, the Senate approved a bill permitting the sale of "raw" milk from cows and goats at the farms where it's produced. Farmers would be allowed to sell up to 500 gallons per month on average. The House had approved the bill on Saturday. Supporters of the legislation say the government shouldn't restr...

Lone Democratic senator opposes gay marriage LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Sen. Mark Pryor, the lone Democrat in Arkansas' congressional delegation, said Wednesday he remains opposed to gay marriage, even as Democratic senators from other conservative states have joined the growing chorus of lawmakers who support it. "I oppose same-sex marriage, and I've been very clear about that and been that way for a long time," Pryor told reporters during a conference call Wednesday. Pryor's stance makes...

Senate panel rejects immigrant tuition bill LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A state Senate committee deadlocked Wednesday on a proposal aimed at allowing Arkansas colleges and universities to extend in-state tuition rates to some immigrants who came to the country as children illegally. With a 3-3 vote, the Senate Education Committee failed to pass the proposal, which would have allowed individual schools to set their own criteria at the cheaper, in-state rate. The measure needed at least five...

Senate showdown vote on gun curbs set for Thursday WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate’s top Democrat has set Congress’ first showdown vote for Thursday on President Barack Obama’s gun control drive as a small but mounting number of Republicans appear willing to buck a conservative effort to prevent debate from even beginning. Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced his decision Tuesday as the White House, congressional Democrats and relatives of the victims of December’s mass shooting in Newt...